Menopause tends to occur naturally around midlife, but it can also happen earlier if a person undergoes some types of surgery or treatment. Learn more…. During menopause, a person can experience hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and other changes. Find out how taking vitamins may help manage discomfort.
What you need to know about HRT. Alternatives Takeaway Hormone replacement therapy HRT can help balance estrogen and progesterone levels during or near menopause. Hormones and menopause. Side effects. Is it safe? Risks: Who should not use HRT? Does HRT cause cancer? Does it cause weight gain? Types of HRT. How to take it. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.
Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Related Coverage. Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph. Essential oils and menopause: Can they help? What are the vasomotor symptoms of menopause?
Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Based on the current evidence, women can be reassured that HRT is unlikely to increase the risk of dementia or be detrimental to cognitive function in women initiating HRT under the age of 60 years. The balance of benefit to harm always needs to be assessed but appears to have shifted favourably for HRT. Users can be reassured provided:.
If women start HRT around the time of menopause the risk is very small and there appear to be cardiovascular and bone protective benefits. It is not usually appropriate for women over 60 to be starting HRT but as the WHI study shows, women initiating it over 60 years do not seem to be at increased risk of cardiovascular events or mortality.
Many women seek advice on the effects of HRT on sexual activity and desire. Whilst there is no definitive answer, case studies indicate that the estrogen in HRT can help maintain or return sex drive. It will also help other menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness and pain with intercourse. If vaginal symptoms are the only problem, then the use of local vaginal estrogen or dehydroepiandrostenedione DHEA may be preferable.
Bio-identical hormones are hormone preparations which are identical molecules to those produced by the body. Indeed, they may be less safe — their production is not monitored by government drug regulatory authorities and thus their dosage may be inaccurate or inconsistent, their purity is certainly not guaranteed, and their safety is not tested as it is with approved HRT formulations.
The accuracy and usefulness of such tests are highly questionable. We would not recommend the use of bio-identical hormones that have not been licensed by the UK regulatory authorities, and indeed would strongly caution women against obtaining such products. The benefits of HRT are generally believed to outweigh the risks.
Read more about the risks of HRT. You can usually begin HRT as soon as you start experiencing menopausal symptoms and will not usually need to have any tests first. A GP can explain the different types of HRT available and help you choose one that's suitable for you. You'll usually start with a low dose, which may be increased at a later stage.
It may take a few weeks to feel the effects of treatment and there may be some side effects at first. A GP will usually recommend trying treatment for 3 months to see if it helps. If it does not, they may suggest changing your dose, or changing the type of HRT you're taking. A GP can give you advice to help you choose which type is best for you.
Women who have had their uterus removed can take estrogen alone. Because of the apparent greater safety of estrogen alone, there may be more flexibility in how long women can safely use estrogen therapy. Hormone therapy risks Both estrogen therapy and estrogen with progestogen therapy increase the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs, similar to birth control pills, patches, and rings.
Although the risks of blood clots and strokes increase with either type of hormone therapy, the risk is rare in the 50 to 59 age group. The risk decreases after hormone therapy is stopped. Additional information: In large population studies, estrogen therapy applied to the skin patches, gels, and sprays and low-dose estrogen pills approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration FDA have been associated with lower risks of blood clots and strokes than standard doses of estrogen pills, but studies directly comparing oral and transdermal hormone therapy have not been done.
Many medical organizations and societies agree in recommending against the use of custom-compounded hormone therapy for menopause management, particularly given concerns regarding content, purity, and safety labeling of compounded hormone therapy formulations.
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